CHAPTER 2: LET'S BE FRIENDS.
"Yes, stay away from the South."
---
Each step I took echoed down the long, cold hallway. The silence was almost comforting. Let me enjoy this peace before the chaos of tomorrow — when school officially resumed and the dorms would be filled with girls again.
It wasn't my choice to arrive early, but my father insisted. He wanted me to get familiar with the place, although he knew well how antisocial I am. The idea of stepping out and seeing crowds of people was... unappealing.
I pushed open the door to my room, closing my eyes for a moment to soak in the comfort of being alone. I was glad I didn't have to share the space with anyone. Though, I wouldn't mind having a roommate I could torture a bit.
Resting my head on the pillow, it didn't take long before I drifted off into a land of nightmares.
---
The next morning...
The sun filtered through the curtains, casting rays of light across the room. Birds chirped happily outside, like they were mocking my inability to get up early.
And there I was — sleeping like I didn't have a class in 30 minutes.
My eyes snapped open. Shit. I'm late!
I rushed out of bed, sprinting to the bathroom for the quickest shower known to humankind.
Who knew I could do my entire morning routine in 10 minutes?
"Ugh, what am I going to wear?" I muttered, not really asking anyone.
I dug into my suitcase, which I hadn't even bothered unpacking yet. Finally, I settled for a black crop top and baggy jeans. Not exactly eye-catching for my first day, but at least I was wearing something.
I hurried out of the dorm just in time to make it to class. As I walked down the hallway, I couldn't help but notice how many girls had arrived today.
Great. Now there's more people. I rolled my eyes.
I struggled to find my Management class. I wandered the halls, asking for directions, but everyone was too busy to help.
"Seriously, no one gives a damn about helping me," I muttered under my breath. Frustrated, I let out a loud scream, and the hallway fell silent. All eyes turned to me, and I smiled sweetly. "Does anyone know where the Management class is?"
A few students pointed, looking stunned, and I gracefully walked toward my class.
I was relieved the class hadn't started yet. I chose a seat at the back, trying to avoid attention.
---
The class ended before I knew it, and I was glad that was my only class for the day. The other two had been canceled for whatever reason — who cares? I had time to work on my new novel.
I packed up my things, eager to leave the classroom before my anxiety kicked in. Being around so many people was already getting on my nerves. The noise alone was unbearable.
"Hi."
I turned to see a blonde girl standing in front of me, wearing a pink and white dress.
I gave her a bored look. "Hello, how can I help you?"
She smiled sweetly. "I'm Natasha. I'm also a freshman. I'd love to be your friend. I'm new here, and it feels like everyone's already formed their little groups."
She spoke so fast, I couldn't keep up. It was like she was on a sugar rush.
"Look, I'm not really a 'people person,' so..." I started to say, but then I remembered what Dad told me about making friends.
---
Flashback:
"Sweetie, I know it's hard for you to talk to people, but when someone reaches out with friendship, don't reject them. Not everyone is like those who bullied you in the past. Promise me you won't reject them."
"I promise, Daddy."
---
End of flashback.
Damn my morals. Now I had to stick to the promise I made. Great.
"Fine, we can be friends. Let's see if you survive." I said, standing up and walking past her. She followed behind, smiling like a kid.
"So, bestie, what are we having for lunch? We could go to the café," she said, scrolling through her phone.
Wait. I stopped in my tracks, causing her to bump into my back.
That reminded me. I hadn't had breakfast.
"Sure, lead the way," I said, sighing.
We walked toward the café. It was a lovely setting, but a bit too bright for my taste. Natasha seemed to love it though; she couldn't stop taking pictures of everything.
I rolled my eyes at her but walked in. It was pretty loud, packed with students, some sitting at tables. We found a spot and placed our orders.
I wasn't keen on eating here — I just wanted a takeout to eat in my room. But if I really wanted to embrace change, I had to start somewhere.
The waiter served our meals, and I whispered a quiet "thank you" as Natasha was glued to her phone.
We ate in silence, but then I caught a glimpse of a group of girls staring at us.
"Sss... those girls are staring at us," I pointed out.
"Where?" Natasha turned, but I held her hand to stop her.
"Hey, don't make it obvious. By your right."
"Oh, okay, I got it." She stylishly picked up her phone, turned on the camera, and acted like she was fixing her hair.
"Your right. Maybe we're just too pretty for them to take their eyes off," she said, continuing her meal.
I chuckled, but then I saw the girls heading toward us.
They stopped in front of our table. We both acted nonchalant, which amused me. I was ready to ignore them, but I didn't expect Natasha to act so calm. She seemed like the sweet candy girl who'd jump into a conversation with anyone.
I was starting to like her.
"Hi. We're sorry to interrupt your lunch. We're giving out invites for tomorrow's wood burn. It's kind of a welcome party for the freshmen."
We both stared at each other, then back at the girls.
"Sure, we'll be there," Natasha spoke first. I was about to decline when she stopped me by holding my hand tight.
I gave her my best smile.
"Great! We'll see you around then," she said with a smile before walking off.
I watched them sit back down before turning to Natasha with a frown. "What the hell? Why did you accept an invite to a random party? Who knows why they invited us? We're basically strangers to them. Doesn't that seem suspicious to you?"
She sipped her drink before replying, "Hey, chill. Alright, first off, I know about the wood burn. It's been a tradition here to welcome all freshmen. Saw it online. And about them trapping us... I'm sure the reason they invited us is for their own advantage. They need votes for the new contest coming, and what better way to get them than by befriending the freshmen?"
She's smart, I guess. I didn't choose wrong.
I'll keep her around for a little while longer... at least until I get bored.
The